Study: Telecommuting Can Actually Benefit Work Performance

Last year, a study by a business professor from the University of Illinois attempted to link telecommuting to good performance and employee behavior. Here’s what they found out:

Employers are Generally Wary of Telecommuting Telecommuting has been around for quite a while and many people have long been debating its impact on the workplace. However, Marissa Mayer’s surprising decision in 2013 to ban telecommuting at Internet services giant Yahoo! that brought the debate to the fore once more.

Professor Ravi S. Gajendran, lead author of said study, remarked that a lot of employers tend to assume the worst when it comes to working remotely. Many seem to think that it’s not good for performance.

As there was little evidence to back up this claim, Gajendran and his team analyzed data from hundreds of employees and supervisors across a wide spectrum of organizations. What they found was most striking.

Telecommuting is Good for Performance Turns out, employees who work remotely are actually productive. In fact, telecommuters are likely to justify their flexible work arrangement by upping their task-based performance. Call it overcompensation or genuine appreciation, but many try to make their work presence more visible so that the company will think of them as assets.

It could also be that they’re trying to avoid co-worker resentment, Gajendran said. They want their colleagues to think they’re still being helpful despite that special arrangement. They put in a little more effort so as not to put strain on existing work relationships.

Telecommuting May Improve Corporate Citizenship According to Gajendran, telecommuting may have a positive effect on “contextual performance” as well. Also known as organizational citizenship behavior, it involves everything from being a helpful colleague to being a dedicated employee to the company. Contextual performance can be hard to achieve if you’re working remotely. What happens is that telecommuters put in more effort to be seen as “corporate citizens” precisely because they’re rarely seen in the office.They’re more aware of following rules, working extra hard, and so on.

Virtual Office Space as Effective Form of Telecommuting Telecommuters are not required to show up in the company office at regular hours, which means they are free to conduct their business elsewhere. Some choose to work from their homes, while others prefer in coffee shops.

Working from these places brings with it unparalleled flexibility and autonomy –but also endless distractions. Both the home and your neighborhood coffee shop are filled with noises and sights that come at you from all directions and disrupt your work. So what’s a telecommuter to do?

Here at 4Corners Business Centers, we have the perfect solutions: a virtual office in Brooklyn NY and a fully equipped meeting room.They combine the freedom of telecommuting with the distraction-free environment of a traditional office space.This way you’re able to perform your best while working remotely.

Our virtual office spaces can help remote workers and home-based enterprises establish a business presence in downtown Brooklyn conveniently. They’re ideal for start-ups, small firms, consultants, and established companies wanting satellite locations as well.Our offices are fully furnished, with access to fast Internet services. We also provide professional call handling services. With a virtual office space from us, you can get your business up and running in no time.

For an office space Brooklyn telecommuters and businesses trust, give 4Corners Business Centers a call at (718) 280-5170 today. Enhance your professional image, get more things done, and enjoy telecommuting with the help of our team.